The Transfer
by oliviajoy45
Summary: Taz has always felt out of place, starting Durmstrang at a young age and then transferring to Hogwarts for her fifth year. Follow her journey as she meets the silver haired boy who finally makes her feel like she has somewhere she belongs.
1. Chapter 1

Tazmin Sophia Marten, or Taz as she preferred to go by, was nervous to say the least about her first day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She had started at a young age demonstrating her magical abilities and was accepted early and invited to start early at Durmstrang. Her parents, though magical, left the choice up to Taz. The intelligent witch eagerly jumped on the opportunity to start her magical education early, despite not knowing much about Durmstrang.

So at the tender age of 8 years old, Taz left home to live with 11 year old first years at Durmstrang, barely able to keep up with the larger children without tripping over her heavy furs that made up the uniform. She attended classes in Bulgarian and struggled to keep up not because of age, but due to the language. Though by the age of 11 she was first in her class and excelling in Bulgarian, she was still only technically a second year, as her classes she was to attend was split so she could learn the language and take more electives. By age 14 she was a fourth year and had attended Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament and that summer decided to write to the head of Hogwarts and ask for a transfer. Her transfer inquiry was accepted and today was her first day as a fifth year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"You'll do great, Taz." Grace Marten told her daughter. The mild tempered woman was proud of her intelligent daughter but was worried that Durmstrang may have skewed her daughter's moral views. Her and her husband, Marshall, often weren't around Taz and rarely heard from her during the school year. They hadn't really wanted children and weren't sure how to parent so when Taz was born and acted like an adult at a young age, all three family members treated one another as if they were all adults.

"What house were you in again, Mum?" Taz asked her mother, her large grey eyes watching the woman carefully.

"I was a Gryffindor. Your father was in Slytherin." she smiled mildly at her husband who was striking up conversation with an older, red-headed man that Taz knew as Arthur Weasley, a co-worker of Marshall Marten's.

"Alright well I should be going." Taz says after an awkward silence. To support her decision, the train whistled a warning behind her. Her cat, Silver, sat on her shoulder precariously, the way an owl might, and dug her nails into Taz's shoulder as the teen moved to hug her mother goodbye.

"Marshall! Taz is about to board the train, dear." Grace called. Marshall Marten, a balding man with a slim figure and the same grey eyes as Taz, turned and hugged his daughter goodbye.

"Actually write us this year, will ya pumpkin?" he told Taz. The brunette that was his daughter rolled her eyes and gave him a peck on the cheek before walking away with a wave and stepping into the train. As she strolled through compartments, trying to find a seat, she heard a yell.

"Hey! You! With the cat!" Taz turned slightly, her brown hair moving into her face.

"Yes? I have a name by the way." she sneered slightly.

"You were at Durmstrang last year." the boy stated matter-o-factly. His skin and hair were roughly the same shade of pale white and his grey eyes were practically translucent. Every ounce of his appearance was bright and shiny and suddenly Taz found herself missing the dimly lit passages of Durmstrang. Silver mewed in agreement to her owner's thoughts.

"Yes. Do I know you?"

"Draco Malfoy, Slytherin.

"Taz Marten, yet to be sorted." Taz rolled her eyes before continuing to move through the train, attempting to find an empty place to sit for the remainder of the journey. She found a mostly empty cabin with just one, spacey looking blonde haired girl in it and decided it would do.

"Hello, may I join you?" Taz asked.

"Only if you don't mind the nargles. They tend to take to new people. I'm Luna." the girl said airily.

"Taz. Pleasure to meet you." The brunette stared at the blonde for a moment before settling into her seat and letting Silver snuggle up next to her. Taz dozed off and before she knew it, was getting woken up by Luna, announcing their arrival at Hogwarts.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi all! So the name Taz was picked because my best friend's nephew's nickname is Taz and I really liked the idea for a girl's name in HP. Here's chapter 2!**

Thankfully, Taz wasn't technically a first year and was able to get out of the boat ride to the castle, opting instead for the carriages pulled by thestrals. She had been able to see the thestrals since she was 10, when shortly after she saw a classmate hang herself she spotted a flock of thestrals in the woods behind Durmstrang. The animals were ugly and creepy, but that's why Taz liked them.

Once they reached the castle, Taz was pulled aside by an older woman with a severe bun to match her severely pinched lips. Lines from worrying over many years marked her face but Taz felt that this woman was actually kind, just a strict rule follower.

"You must be Tazmin Marten. I am Professor Mcgonagall." she said.

"I go by Taz, but yes. Nice to meet you Professor." Taz said politely.

"Come with me, you must be sorted before you can join a house." Taz was confused, Durmstrang didn't have houses. She followed the professor silently, standing in line among a bunch of first years, some of whom were soaking wet from what she could only imagine was pond water from the boats capsizing.

Taz watched as Professor Mcgonagall placed a dusty, ragged old witch's hat on a wooden stool and listened as it sang a song, describing each house and what it honors. Taz stood silently but was bored internally and let her mind wander to the differences between Hogwarts and Durmstrang. Different uniforms, different feeling inside the school, same material that the building was made from, more students at Hogwarts, more dark magic at Durmstrang. Soon enough, her name was called and Mcgonagall had to call twice to interrupt Taz from her own thoughts. Blushing for a moment, Taz moved forward to sit on the stool as the professor explained that Taz had transferred from Durmstrang and that she would have to be sorted.

"Bet you 20 galleons she's a Slytherin." a red-headed twin said loudly. Taz wondered if he was one of the Weasley twins.

"You're on, surviving at Durmstrang? She's probably gonna be in Gryffindor." the other twin said back. Taz felt nervous suddenly, wondering how much her future would change based on the varying paths each house could take her down.

The hat was placed on Taz's head while she worried and suddenly she froze, hearing a voice in her mind.

"My my, what do we have here. A Durmstrang transfer? That's unheard of until now. Well, let's look at your mind, shall we? Hmm...very intelligent, though not much of a team player, are we? Not Hufflepuff, that's for sure. Durmstrang has surely made you dark enough for Slytherin, Ravenclaw would surely appreciate your brains. Gryffindor would not like your...independent ways. I know. SLYTHERIN!"

Taz heard clapping and hollering and above all, one of the twins yelling about him winning the bet. Taz stood, taking the hat off, and moved to sit at the Slytherin table, finding her eyes locking with the same pale boy from before. Her cheeks blushed as she found him looking at her in a different way than before.

"Imate li neshto protiv?" Taz asked him. The boy looked startled.

"That wasn't English, mate." a dark haired boy next to Taz told her.

"I know. It was Bulgarian. I asked if he minded. I figured asking in English wouldn't stun him enough to kill the starring. Let's eat, shall we?" Taz said, eying the sudden appearance of food on the table. She wasn't feeling hungry despite not having eaten all day. She was missing Durmstrang despite its cool interior and lack of friendly faces, but they had become her family and she missed them fiercely. She took out a piece of parchment and a quill when she got to her common room and wrote a letter to Gabby, one of her Durmstrang friends. She wrote about speaking Bulgarian at dinner to mess with Draco and laughed slightly thinking of how Gabby would have hexed Draco for even giving her the wrong look.

"Goodnight Taz." Draco smirked at the brunette as he and his two, overweight and idiotic followers went up to the boys dormitory. Taz had to admit, the dormitories here at Hogwarts were much nicer, and warmer, than those at Durmstrang. She had her own bed with curtains for privacy and shared the room with only 1 other girl, Daphne Greengrass. A perk of being in a house with so many wealthy, donating families.

Taz fell asleep quickly and felt as though she had just closed her eyes when it was time to get up. Daphne woke her up gently, reminding her that the bathrooms would be hectic before breakfast and that they better hurry. Taz groaned before rolling out of bed and dressing quickly in her school clothes, racing after Daphne to brush her teeth and then to the Great Hall to eat breakfast.

Taz wasn't disappointed by the breakfast display and since she didn't eat much dinner the night before, she was ravenous. She piled her plate full of pancakes and bacon and was halfway through eating before Draco slid into the seat next to her. Taz groaned.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked.

"Well, my father has been pressuring me to befriend you. You and I both come from powerful, pureblood families and from what I've heard you have some Death Eaters in your family."

Taz grimaced. "Yes, my Uncle is _very_ close to the Dark Lord." Taz glared at Draco. He knew _exactly_ who her Uncle was.

"Well, because of your Uncle, my father thinks you would be a suitable wife for me and told me I have to woo you." Draco held his head high but Taz only rolled her eyes and smacked him on the back of his head.

"You idiot, that's not something you actually tell the girl you're supposed to woo." the dark haired boy from the night before told Draco. He turned to Taz. "Blaise Zabini, nice to meet you."

"Taz." Taz lowered her grey eyes back to her plate, suddenly not hungry. The mention of her so-called Uncle took away her appetite.

"Look, Draco. My "uncle" is only called family because he took my father in when his family died and my family, while pure-blooded and inherently dark, does not define who I follow, so if you could, please leave me and my family out of your family's schemes or I shall pass along your father's plan to get closer to the Dark Lord to the Dark Lord himself and then we'll be sure that your family will get a lot more pain than just a cuff to the back of your head." Taz hissed at the boy, her grey eyes flashing dangerously. Draco looked stunned, his pale skin flushing red while Blaise simply smirked. Taz excused herself from the table and led herself to the Slytherin dorms before her first classes to gather herself. Her left forearm was burning, a bad sign that made her stomach turn even worse than Draco bringing up her Uncle Voldy at breakfast.

Okay, so maybe there was a motive to Taz's transferring of schools, but she had to talk to her uncle and her parents about Draco's wedding idea before anything else could happen. For if they married, her uncle would have the Malfoy's entire wealth at his disposal and while loyal to her family and her uncle, Taz wasn't exactly on the same page as her uncle and family when it came to the moral beliefs of the cause.


	3. Chapter 3

A few weeks later, Taz found Daphne staring at her uncovered left forearm, which held not only her Dark Mark, something placed upon her at a young age, but because of the young age, Taz was allowed to get another design to hide the mark. The snake itself was hardly noticeable unless she was needed by her uncle. Most of the time, the tattoo just looked like a mermaid with swirls and stars.

"That's cool. You should keep it uncovered more often." Daphne smiled at Taz. The two girls were fast friends; Daphne was easy to talk to and easily talked enough for both of them and Taz was a good listener. They helped each other with homework and Taz taught Daphne swear words in Bulgarian.

"Thanks, maybe I will." Taz had just gotten out of the shower, hence why the tattoo was uncovered, but she easily shrugged into her school clothes which covered the tattoo. "I'm heading down to breakfast. Go easy on the makeup today, will ya? Blaise notices you no matter what." Taz rolled her silvery eyes and headed out the dormitory door, books in hand, as she felt a pillow graze her back. Laughing, she made her way to the common room and then to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Oof, watch where you're going!" Taz yelled, being knocked over suddenly.

"I'm so sorry, Ronald here was trying to perform one of his own spells again." a bushy haired girl apologized, bending over to pick up her own pile of dropped books. Taz looked at the girl for a moment before bending down to pick up her own books, standing back up carefully to not drop them again.

"You're a Weasley." Taz said suddenly. The red-headed boy blushed and grimaced but Taz extended her hand to him thoughtfully. "I'm Tazmin Marten. Our fathers work together." The redhead calmed down visibly before shaking Taz's hand.

"Ronald Weasley. This is Hermione Granger and Harry Potter." Ron smiled, enjoying being the center of attention for once.

"Ahh, Granger. You were the best in your year last year am I correct? And you went to the Yule Ball with Krum. He's a good mate." Taz nodded appreciatively.

"You know Krum?" Harry asked, slightly shocked.

"Of course, I'm from Durmstrang aren't I?" Taz gave Harry an odd look. This boy sure was thick skulled. Hermione hit Harry with one of her books.

"Don't be rude, Harry." she scolded. Taz smiled to herself. Of course Hermione was their school mother.

"Sorry Taz." Harry mumbled.

"It's fine. Anyways, I should be getting to breakfast. It was nice to meet you three." Taz smiled and waved, walking into the Great Hall and stalking over to the Slytherin table where Daphne and Blaise were sitting, making googly eyes at one another.

"Oy, just kiss already." Taz grumbled, swinging her left leg over the bench. Daphne and Blaise blushed.

"What took you so long, I thought you were going to beat me here!" Daphne exclaimed.

"I got held up. Ran, quite literally, into Weasley, Granger, and Potter. My father works at the Ministry with Weasley so I thought it would be polite to introduce myself, that's all." Taz was filling her mouth with oatmeal so she wouldn't have to speak anymore when Draco came to sit at the table.

"You can only sit here if you aren't going to be a prat." Taz told him after she swallowed.

"I'll be nice, Marten, I promise." Draco rolled his eyes, winking at Taz. She felt confused for a moment but quickly recovered before calling him a very rude word in Bulgarian. Daphne, who had recently learned that word, covered her mouth to try to not laugh but failed miserably and had herself and Taz clutching their stomachs from laughter.

"Get yourself together, Marten. That's not very lady like." Pansy Parkinson sneered from across the table.

"Neither is looking like a pig but you managed to try anyway." Taz sneered. She was used to throwing insults at Durmstrang and had learned fast, especially since she had been attending from such a young age.

"Why you little-" Pansy went to pull out her wand and was about to curse Taz when the unswine-like girl sent a silent charm to take away Pansy's voice. Smiling, Taz commented.

"Ah..The perks of attending Durmstrang three years early." she sighed. Draco's eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"You started at Durmstrang when you were 9?!"

"8 you idiot. But yes, I am exceptionally smart and showed magic at a young age. My uncle decided to persuade my parents and the Headmaster at Durmstrang that sending me to school early would only be a benefit to me." Taz felt only mildly guilty for bragging, and slightly more guilty for throwing her Uncle into the equation, but the look on Draco's face was all worth it.

Within the next few weeks, Harry, Hermione, and Ron had become better friends with Taz, to Draco's dismay. Taz wasn't sure if her motive behind the friendship was merely to have companions or to be able to have an inner view on what her Uncle was trying to accomplish, but for the time being, she ignored the question. It was nice to have non-Slytherins to talk to and study with. Hermione was the first person she had met so far that could even compare to her own intelligence and Taz found studying with her to be like a drink of cold water on a hot day.

"If we just cut the toad legs small enough, we should be able to strain as much liquid out as possible." Hermione told Taz one day in potions. Snape was walking around and stopped to listen to his Goddaughter's answer.

"Actually, if we merely mash the legs into a fine paste and then add the entirety of the paste to the potion, it'll not only finish faster but also make a more potent potion." Taz replied.

"Very good, Miss Marten. 10 points to Slytherin." Snape drawled. Taz smiled while Hermione grunted and started to mash the toad legs.

"How are you always one step ahead of me?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Durmstrang prepared me to be the best. I completed my first two years only one year early. The first two years I was there was spent with private tutoring sessions and electives, and learning Bulgarian. Honestly, Hermione, you should be proud that you're only one step behind me. It's pretty good for a muggle-born who's only just learned of magic 5 years ago." Taz teased. Hermione grimaced before giving the other girl a small smile.

"Sometimes I'm jealous that you got to go to school so many years early, but then I realize you must not have had much of a childhood." Hermione pondered out loud. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that in a bad way-" the girl started to ramble.

"Hey, it's fine. I really didn't. Even before Durmstrang I was getting private lessons from...family members and Durmstrang wasn't the most comfortable place. It was always cold and dark and damp. Be thankful for what you've got, Hermione, because I can honestly say I'm jealous. My family isn't really into being lovey. My parents didn't want children and then they just so happened to get pregnant and be _blessed_ by my presence. Honestly, they were probably happy when I went away early." Taz said honestly. She took out a piece of parchment suddenly as Hermione worked silently on the potion and jotted a quick note to her parents.

 _Mum, Dad,_

 _Draco said his parents want us betrothed. I'm writing because I want Uncle V's opinion. I'm not sure if the Malfoys just want to appear more devoted to Uncle V or if they want something else. Just letting you lot know._

 _Devotedly,_

 _Tazmin Sophia_


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Taz received a letter back from her parents along with a basket full of goodies like new jewelry, clothing, and some extra galleons to spend at Hogsmeade that coming weekend. Worried that her parents were spending too much, she hurried to open the letter that came.

 _Tazmin Sophia_

 _I just wanted to thank you for your close eye on the Malfoys. Please accept these gifts as a thank you. I will decide what we shall do next and will talk to you around Christmas time when you come home._

 _Uncle V_

She had wondered why the handwriting was unfamiliar. The gifts, the money, had all come from her Uncle, who was staying with her parents at the moment. She shivered slightly but tucked the note away and ran the basket up to her room before she had her first class of the day.

At lunch, Draco came up to taz with a particular smile on his face that reminded her only of a weasel.

"Yes, Malfoy? It better be good if you're trying to interrupt my meal. I thought your mother raised you with better manners." Taz glared slightly at the pale boy.

"Umbridge asked me to lead a special Task Force to catch Potter and his group of rouge students that have been using a special room to practice Defense Against the Dark Arts spells." he smirked.

"Well at least someone is teaching the spellwork. If we had a teacher like Umbridge at Durmstrang, Karkaroff would have kicked them out himself."

"Umbridge told me to ask you to join." Draco said, slightly startled by Taz's outburst.

"No." she said, fast and simple. Draco looked appalled.

"No?! Marten this is one of the coolest things ever, why would you say no to this?!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down you prat. It may be all fun and games for you but I'm

not going to let Umbridge con me into doing her bidding. I'm not that thick." Draco turned red. "If she wants to catch Potter and his little band doing spells, she should really do it on her own, not use students and realistically she's taking advantage of the house rivalry to get what she wants." Taz finished, both her lecturing and her lunch, and stood to leave.

"Hey Marten! You ask your Uncle about the marriage idea yet?" Draco piped up from next to her.

"Yes, I sent him a letter yesterday to warn him and keep an extra close eye on your family. I'm surprised you didn't see the rather large basket of goodies he sent as a thank you." and with that, Draco paled as Taz stalked off to her afternoon class with Umbridge herself.

"Miss Marten!" Umbridge's voice shrilled. Taz looked up from the note she had been writing, a letter really, to her Uncle about Umbridge's teaching style. She knew that Umbridge was working for her Uncle but wasn't sure at which level, nor how much she knew.

"Yes, Professor?" Maybe she should hold off on the letter and investigate herself and then update her Uncle at Christmas. She scribbled onto a piece of parchment quickly what she already knew about the witch before turning to face her slowly approaching professor.

"What are you writing while everyone else is reading?" she demanded. Taz was shocked that Umbridge was going after a Slytherin, though she had wondered if Umbridge already heard about Taz turning down the opportunity to be apart of the little spy team.

"Um, notes?" she quickly found the page that she had been writing notes on and held it up to the professor. A few kids in the class chuckled quietly.

"Very well. Please see me after class, Miss Marten." Taz's stomach dropped, but then suddenly she got an idea. Next week was Christmas break. If she could get detention beforehand, she could go home with positivity that her account of how Umbridge works is correct. Once class ended, Taz stood and gathered her belongings slowly before meeting the professor at the front of the room.

"Yes professor?"

"Why did you turn down my invitation?" Umbridge asked.

"Ahh, that's what this is about. And honestly, because I won't be apart of stopping these kids to learn spells. You don't teach any so they have a right to learn from somebody. Plus, you're using the rivalry between houses as a way to get the Slytherin's to do what you want." Umbridge's face lit up in a sickly sweet smile and Taz realized that Umbridge has no idea who her Uncle is. She probably was being ordered around by the Malfoys, or maybe even Pettigrew.

"Detention for the rest of the week, in my office, after dinner, Miss Marten." Taz turned silently and walked out of the classroom wondering what she had just gotten herself into.


	5. Chapter 5

Detention with Dolores Umbridge was unpleasant to say the least. Taz was forced to write "I will not be disrespectful to my superiors." with a blood quill until her hand was stinging so bad she thought she might cry. Hermione met her outside of Umbridge's door with a small bottle that she was instructed to add to warm water and then soak her hand in.

"It's going to scar no matter what, but it helps the healing and eases the pain. Really, Marten, I thought I would only have to worry about Harry getting detention." Hermione left after commenting about how Taz should hurry and get that soak started.

Hermione was right, of course. The soak did ease the pain and let her have enough space in her mind to finish up on some of her homework, mostly her essay for potions. She liked having Snape as a professor, but it was also odd that her Godfather was her teacher.

"What happened, Marten?" Draco Malfoy plopped himself down across from Taz. He looked tired and peered into the bowl where Taz's hand was soaking in murky water. Taz removed her hand from the soak and showed the raw lettering to Draco, who's mouth turned into a perfect "o" and his face turned as red as a tomato.

"Umbridge's detention. Blood quill. You know it's funny that she thinks she's above me when really I'm above her. I can't wait to show this to my Uncle and get her in trouble."

"You're telling me that you are going to put yourself through a week of blood quill torture just to get Umbridge in trouble with your Uncle?" Draco's jaw dropped.

"No, stupid. I'm doing it so that I can prove she's not running things the way he would want and get her to start actually teaching spells so that Harry's little gang doesn't become more advanced and get the upperhand. All you're doing is making Umbridge think that she can treat you like dolls and you'll do whatever she says." Taz sighed in content as she placed her hand back into the soak.

"A doll?!" Draco erupted. The entire common room became silent for a moment and Taz waiting for the chatter to come back before listening to Draco's rant. "I am no more or less a doll to Umbridge than you are to your Uncle. You think you're so mighty because you came from Durmstrang or started school early or because of who your family is. But newsflash, Marten, nobody here is afraid of you! Nobody here even knows who you are and yet you still do his bidding for him, sending him letters of what goes on. You stay silent for him because he can get you to do whatever he likes and despite Umbridge working for my father, I still have to do her bidding or else my hand will look like yours." With that, Draco stood and left to go to his dormitory.

"Damn." Taz murmured. But after a moment, she turned back to her studies and worked until the common room was empty and the warm fire was almost out. One of the house elves was coaxing the flames when Taz heard footsteps and turned back to her last bit of homework.

"Taz." the voice said. Taz looked up in shock to see Draco Malfoy standing there looking disheveled in his pajamas.

"Draco." she said softly. She wasn't sure what was going on but she felt like Draco had some sort of bad day and for some unknown reason, she felt an urge to make it better for him. She wasn't sure why, considering she and Draco had done nothing but argue since they met, but she had to admit she had a soft spot for the boy.

"Can we talk?" he asked, motioning to the couch next to the hot fire. Taz nodded, moving to stand, stretch, and then walk over to the worn emerald green couch in front of the fire. Her hands had grown cold after hours of doing homework and she found the heat from the fire to be extremely relaxing.

"What's up?" Taz asked, sitting on one end of the couch. Draco settled onto the other side before turning to her.

"I'm sorry about what I said. You're not his doll and it's very impressive that you started school so early. But you were right about me, I just do whatever Umbridge tells me to and I really ought to start thinking for myself." Taz could hear her heartbeat in her ears.

"Thank you for apologizing." she managed to squeak out. She found herself inching closer to Draco, craving human touch. "You don't have to work for her you know. Just say you're doing private lessons with Severus. I know he's your Godfather as well." Draco nodded solemnly.

"I should be getting to bed." Taz said after a few minutes of silence.

"Taz, wait." Draco grabbed her unmarred hand as she walked by him and pulled him close to her. She stopped breathing as their noses touched and her grey eyes stared into his silver ones. Her eyes fluttered closed and before she knew it, she was leaning in to kiss Draco Malfoy.


	6. Chapter 6

By the time that Christmas break came around, Taz's hand was deeply scarred and bled whenever she clenched it too tightly. Hermione kept her in stock with the essence needed to create the soothing soak, but the soak could only do so much.

Her relationship with Draco was strained, as the pale boy had been avoiding the brunette since they kissed, conflicted with his own inner feelings of, well, conflict. Taz focused on finishing her school work before the break, which would last an entire two weeks during which Christmas and New Years fell. Her mind would often flicker back to Draco but she tried her best to distract herself from him. Her heart had opened up a little space for him and he had shut her out of his own. Taz hadn't realized she had feelings for the Malfoy boy until she started to notice her own heart speeding up when he was near and started talking to Daphne about it. The two girls agreed that Taz did indeed have a crush on Malfoy but Taz didn't tell Daphne about the kiss.

She sat at yet another silent breakfast the day she was set to go home for break when Taz caught Daphne walking up to Blaise with a gift in her hands. He turned around with one in his own hands. Taz watched in a sort of jealous stupor as Daphne and Blaise took turns opening their presents and then hugged each other warmly. Daphne blushed before pecking Blaise on the cheek and then coming to sit by Taz for a piece of toast and some eggs.

"What was that? Zambini's face is bright red." Taz giggled. The other girl elbowed her, flashing red quickly before murmuring her response.

"Just Christmas gifts. I picked him up some candy and a sweater from Hogsmeade last weekend and I thought he would enjoy and he happened to have the same idea, which was a pleasant surprise. Look." Daphne held out her wrist which held a dangly charm bracelet charmed to change design based on her mood.

"Awe, D, that's so precious. Here." Taz dug around her own bag before producing a small gift that she had also found at Hogsmeade the weekend before and thought Daphne would appreciate. It was a bag that was charmed to fit any amount without becoming heavier and it was reversible without having to empty the contents. Daphne hugged Taz as a thank you and handed the girl a gift which held a set of new quills and fun colored inks.

"I know how much you like to write." Daphne smiled brightly. This was true, Taz had a journal she kept that was charmed through strong Durmstrang-learned magic to only ever appear to Taz, no matter what. If anyone should try to access the journal without Taz's approval, the book would spontaneously combust.

"Thanks Daph." Taz hugged the girl before seeing the time. "I've got to get going! My parent's are expecting my portkey to leave in 10 minutes!" Taz took off running. Her portkey was in her room and she needed to make sure Silver, her cat, was with her and in her cage before the portkey took off. The cat was mewing awfully loud by the time the portkey was ready and starting to glow but Taz knew the sounds were only temporary so she put up with the annoyances.

Once the world stopped spinning, Taz heard Silver throwing up and felt familiar arms grab onto her.

"Tazmin!" The brunette turned her own grey eyes up to meet her father's and hugged him back.

"Hi Daddy." She snuggled her face into his shoulder as her mother acted as if Taz had not just gotten home and was taking Silver out of her cage and using magic to clean up the vomit.

"How are you, m'dear?" Marshall Marten asked.

"I'm well, Daddy. How are you? Happy Christmas!"

"Your Uncle wants to speak to you." Grace Marten spoke. "It has to do with the Malfoy's." she said coldly. Taz had always had a strange relationship with her mother, a woman who didn't want children but had one accidently. Grace seemed to resend Tazmin but Marshall never treated Taz as if she was unwanted for a moment in her life, which was why not only was he Taz's favorite parent, but also that she trusted his opinion on people, especially her Uncle.

"Where can I find him?" Taz asked quietly.

"He's in the den. Go in, I'll bring in some tea momentarily." Grace's face stayed stone cold and Taz felt ashamed as she walked into the den.

"Uncle." Taz said. It was supposed to be a question but it came out as a statement.

"Tazmin Sophia Riddle Marten. What a wonderful sight." the man had slit for a nose and no hair on his pale head, just a map of veins, and when he spoke it sounded like a snake speaking, but Taz's affection for the man has never dwindled.

"What can I do for you?" she asked, smiling.

"Fill me in, of course. I'd like to see how Umbridge is doing in her new position and want to hear more about the Malfoy situation."

So Taz filled her Uncle in on how Draco hasn't brought up marriage again but that they had kissed, even though now he was ignoring her.

"What about the Umbridge situation?" he hissed.

"She is teaching completely out of the textbook which has forced many students from different houses to create a secret alliance to learn spells to defend against the dark arts. If you ask me, she's creating a worse situation because now these students are learning spells that they should either not ever learn or shouldn't learn for years to come. They're making an army and Umbridge's solution is to use Slytherin's hatred of the other houses to use them to try and catch the secret army. She hands out detention like they're free pumpkin pastries and this is what she does." Taz held up her hand to show her Uncle her hand.

"Blood quill?" he raised an invisible eyebrow. Taz nodded. "She doesn't know who you are, but I can't help but feel angry that she hurt my kin." Voldemort looked at a shocked Taz. "Child, I believe it is time to tell you how you came to be." Taz settled into her seat and Grace came in with a tea set, which she set down before leaving promptly.

"Many years ago, I met a young man with extraordinary abilities and took him under my wing. We were like brothers, but most people didn't know that he was working by my side. He didn't bear the symbol of a Death Eater in case a time ever came such as this where Death Eaters were prosecuted. I knew I'd need someone else on the outside. I cared for this man in ways I'd never known I could and wanted him to always be safe. One day, he confronted me. He wanted a child and had a friend willing to birth the baby but he was not able to provide the sperm to create the child.

"I offered to donate my own under the conditions that this child would not only follow our ideals, but bear a hidden Dark Mark as well as be my child as well. When I grew too weak to do anything but lay in bed all day, your father spent sleepless nights caring for me while Grace was pregnant with you. When Death Eaters had to disappear, Grace took on the roll as your mother for the public while Marshall and I were always your true parents." Taz suddenly realized what her Uncle was saying, he wasn't even her Uncle. He was her biological father. And realistically, Taz knew this was logical because Grace had never really wanted Taz around.

"So why didn't Grace just leave?"

"We needed to be the perfect family image to avoid any questions. Grace can leave now if she pleases, as I am growing stronger. Or she can stay. She was always a loyal Death Eater, especially after birthing my daughter." Voldemort smiled and even though it was a terrifying sight, it calmed Taz down.

"So you did name me." Taz's eyes met Voldemort's and she suddenly noticed the similarities. Her eye color wasn't from Marshall, it was from Voldemort. He had once shown Taz a picture of his mother whose eyes matched Taz's exactly.

"I did. My beautiful, powerful Tazmin Sophia Riddle-Marten. We decided to leave out the Riddle part once you started school to get rid of speculation, but you are undoubtedly mine. Although I hear you are making friends with the Potter kid."

"Thought I could spy on him for you." Taz shrugged.

"That's my girl." Voldemort hissed. There was a pleasant moment of silence before Voldemort took a deep breath and looked back at Taz. "Well, let's go deal with this Malfoy nonsense. We were invited to stay for the holidays and since we have some figuring out to do about this marriage and about Dolores Umbridge, I agreed to go. Hopefully you and that Malfoy boy can get past your little kiss and act as the adults we all know you can be." Voldemort gave Taz an amusing look and she suddenly felt as though she understood why her life had been so complicated and neglectful yet fulfilling. She felt bad for Grace to have to give up so many years to a child that though hers genetically, she didn't want.

"Malfoy Manor time!" Marshall knocked on the door loudly. Taz and Voldemort looked at each other in shock before moving to leave the Marten estate.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Ahh! So how did everyone like that little shocker at the end of the last chapter?! Taz is Voldemort's love child with his partner, Marshall Marten! And Taz has said she's just spying on Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I feel some inner conflict coming up…**

Apparating beside her fathers to the Malfoy Mansion made Taz feel uneasy. Grace had been given the opportunity to come but now that Taz knew everything, Grace decided she wanted to be rid of the burden of raising a child that was barely her own and stated that while the others were away, she would be home packing up her things and would be gone by the time they returned. Since Grace and Marshall had never gotten married and Grace still had her maiden name, Sophia, she was set to go have a normal Death Eater life. Voldemort had given her money over the years that she had saved and now had enough for her own place. Taz would miss the mother figure she had grown up with, but Grace seemed to want nothing to do with Taz.

The Malfoy Mansion, Taz decided, was correctly named. It was huge, with a long driveway and large gardens filled with white and black and red roses in front of the house. Taz locked her elbow with Marshall's and walked steadily up to the front door, which swung open before they even knocked. A breathless Lucius opened the door, bowing low when he saw Lord Voldemort standing before him.

"Come in, please." Lucius said clearly. Taz saw a mortified Draco standing not too far behind his father and Taz did nothing but smirk at the pale boy. She had never met Narcissa and Lucius, but once she did she understood where Draco got his looks. Both parents were pale skinned with white blonde hair, though Narcissa had streaks of black in her own locks.

"Where is Grace?" Narcissa asked, concerned.

"Packing her things and leaving, I'm afraid." Marshall told her. The Dark Lord gave Marshall a small hand squeeze that told the Malfoy's everything they needed to know and they looked away, embarrassed.

"That's too bad. Taz should have a female role model in her life. Anyways, supper is ready!" Narcissa said with a small smile. The six of them moved to the warm dining room, a roaring fire in the fireplace and a table filled with food. It was Christmas Eve after all.

"Let's have Draco and Tazmin next to each other, shall we?" Lucius suggested.

"Yes, let's." Narcissa looked up, hopefully.

"Tazmin, dear, would you mind sitting next to Draco?" Marshall asked. Taz looked to Voldemort and he gave her a slight nod.

"No problem at all, Daddy." She unwrapped herself from her father's arm and went to take the seat next to Draco, whose face was a deep shade of red. They hadn't talked since the kiss and they both knew that the Malfoy's were about to bring up the marriage proposal.

"Happy Christmas everyone." Voldemort hissed. With that, they loaded their plates with turkey, potatoes, tarts, veggies, fruits, and anything else that the house elves had prepared. Taz favored the freshly baked rolls that steamed when she broke them open. Draco appeared nervous and was barely picking at his meal. Taz reached for his hand under the table and gave it an unexpected squeeze. He looked at Taz.

"It'll be fine. Promise." she told him. She felt confidant suddenly and decided she would be confidant for her and Draco both.

"So, My Lord, Marshall. We have a proposition to make." Lucius started.

"Yes? Go on." Voldemort set down his fork and knife and looked at the Malfoys, minus Draco. He knew what they were going to propose.

"Well, we haven't stopped getting letters about Taz since they met last year when Durmstrang visited Hogwarts." Narcissa smiled. Taz gave Draco a funny look and he blushed. She wasn't aware that they had met then.

"And as you know, this family is very loyal to you, My Lord." Lucius continued. "We would like to set up a betrothal for Draco and Tazmin."

"So you want my only daughter to marry your son. And why is this?" Voldemort asked. All three Malfoy's looked shocked.

"Daughter? I thought she was your niece!" Narcissa almost fainted.

"Lucius, keep your wife under control, please." Voldemort ordered.

"Father, don't be crude." Taz scolded. Voldemort gave Taz an apologetic look. She was always going to be his little angel.

"Yes, well, like I said. What would be the benefit of marrying our little girl off to your son?" Marshall intervened.

"Well, you, My Lord, would have access to our finances. You would know that we are loyal to you because you are family, and we would allow Draco to get the Dark Mark at a young age, perhaps the youngest yet!" Lucius declared.

"I got mine at 8 years old, so maybe the second youngest." Taz commented, remembering the charm her Uncle had put on the design at the time. Father, not Uncle.

"You want to prove that you are the most loyal, do you not, Lucius?" Lucius nodded. "And you think that by marrying my daughter to your son, this will be accomplished?" Lucius gulped and nodded.

"I see. Well, due to our financial needs, I will accept this offer. However, this is because it appears that Tazmin and Draco already have somewhat of a connection to one another. Should Tazmin decide and convince me that this betrothal should not be completed, then this deal is off, understood?" Draco and Taz looked at each other in shock as the adults shook on their agreement. Tazmin Sophia Riddle-Marten would soon become Tazmin Riddle Malfoy.


	8. Chapter 8

Christmas was spent quietly at the Malfoy's, a bargain Taz would only allow if her small family could do their Christmas gift exchange on Christmas Eve when they got home from the Malfoy's. Grace was gone, to Taz's dismay, when they got home but since Taz was rarely home, it was relatively easy to adjust to a duel father household, especially since the only difference was that Grace was gone and she knew the secret behind her birth.

Grace had left Taz her new address in case anything happened and made her a promise of weekly letters. Taz gave Marshall a sweater and Voldemort a magical wand polish. The happy couple got her new robes, quills, parchment, books, and she even received some socks from Grace. The next morning, Taz complained quietly about having to go to the Malfoy's on Christmas, but was shut up when Marshall told her that there was something Narcissa wanted to ask of Taz. Curious, the teen quickly got ready for the day. Arriving at the Malfoy's, Narcissa did indeed pull Taz aside.

"Tazmin dear, could you come here a moment?" she called. Taz had just hugged Draco awkwardly and waved to Lucius when Narcissa called to her. Narcissa's sister, Bellatrix, was also at the manor and she frankly scared Taz, but she didn't say anything.

"Of course, Narcissa. What can I do for you?" Taz allowed herself to be pulled aside.

"I was thinking that you could start to go by your middle name, Sophia. It would be much more of a feminine name then Tazmin."

"Sophia was my birth mother's last name, not my middle name. Plus, Father named me Tazmin and it's a family name. I'm sure you wouldn't want to offend your Dark Lord." Taz hinted. Narcissa paled.

"On the other hand, Tazmin is a lovely name. Very unique." Taz left the conversation smirking. They had a quiet Christmas; Narcissa and Marshall put together details for the upcoming ball to celebrate Draco and Tazmin's betrothal and Lucius and Voldemort talked business. Voldemort needed money for his family as the Marten estate was slowly deteriorating. Lucius was hanging onto every word Voldemort spoke and it made him look rather pathetic, but Taz didn't say anything.

"Uhm, here. This is for you." Draco held out two small gifts to her. She opened the larger of the two to find a silver necklace with a green emerald hanging from it. Smiling, she lifted her long, reddish brown hair for Draco to secure the jewelry around her neck. The second gift was her engagement ring. It was thin and petite but perfect, just like Taz herself, Draco thought. The white gold band met the large diamonds which haloed around a sparkling emerald.

"May I?" he asked her. They felt the eyes of all four parents on them as Taz nodded and Draco slipped the ring onto her ring finger of her left hand. Taz gave Draco a peck on the cheek and squealed.

"Tazmin, come here for a moment." Voldemort called.

"Yes father?"

"Lucius offered to host us here for the rest of your break so that our estate can be returned to its former glory. I'm having the house elves bring your things over, but we realized that you need a dress for the ball."

"I'm sure Marshall and Tazmin wouldn't mind joining Draco and I out to Diagon Alley for some dress clothes tomorrow. Draco needs new dress robes as well." Narcissa pointed out. Taz elbowed her father gently, hoping he'd agree.

"That sounds splendid, don't you agree, Tom?" Marshall said. Voldemort nodded slowly.

"We'll cover all costs of course. You're our guests!" Lucius said nervously. It was becoming more apparent to Taz that the Malfoy's were under the impression that they could prove their loyalty by buying their way out of suspicion. Maybe they could, Taz thought.

"Well it's settled then." Marshall clapped his hands together in excitement and Taz yawned. The day had gone by fast, with presents being exchanged and talk of the ball and having to deal with Bellatrix until supper time.

"Draco, why don't you show Tazmin her room. She looks tired. It's right across the hall from yours, I finished it this afternoon." Narcissa ordered. Taz and Draco stood up and said goodnight to their parents before Taz followed Draco up the stairs and to their left.

"Mother and Father have their room on the second floor but mine is on the third. I'm sure your, erm, fathers will have their room on the second as well. Here it is." Draco stopped at a door.

"Would you like to come in and see it?" Taz invited. There was a forceful tone in her voice that made Draco oblige and the duo stepped into the room. Silver, Taz's cat, was asleep on the dark green bedspread. The bed had a canopy which was also emerald green and a pristine white carpet adorned the floor. The wood was all painted silver and there was both a large closet and a sitting room through one door. Another door held a personal bathroom.

Taz put a charm on the bedroom so that nobody would hear their conversation.

"What's going on, Marten?"

"Can't you call me Taz, now that I'm your fiancee?" Taz rolled her eyes.

"Fine, _Taz_ , what's going on?" Draco fake mocked.

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay." Taz blushed. She really did care about Draco, in more than one way, and was secretly pleased she'd get to marry her crush. "We haven't really spoken since the kiss and now...this." Taz held up her left hand, showing off the gleaming engagement ring.

"I thought you were ignoring me, so I ignored you back." Draco said, confused.

"Why would I ignore you?!" Taz quipped. "I'm practically in love with you, you prat." she didn't even bother to blush this time, she was too mad. Taz sat at the edge of the bed and looked away, letting her eyes trace the embellishments on the furniture.

"You are?" Draco looked stunned. He only teased Taz because he liked her. His mother hadn't been lying; when Draco first saw Taz, he thought she was the most beautiful being on the planet. Teasing her was a way to get attention, even if it wasn't positive.

"Yes!" Taz nearly yelled. She had tears forming in her large, grey eyes and was trying to blink them away when one fell. Draco looked stunned but when he saw the tear drop he sprung into action.

"I've been in love with you since the day I saw you. Last year. You walked in behind Victor Krum, your hair had braids in it and you were wearing this fancy fur cape. I thought you were the most beautiful person in the world." he paused, gauging Taz's response. She was quiet, but listening to him speak. "I didn't mean to ignore you after we kissed, I just thought you would admit you don't like me and I was going to be crushed."

"You?!" Taz scoffed. "The Prince of Slytherin? Crushed?" she mocked.

"I'll have you know I am a very emotional person." Draco sniffed. He smiled at Taz suddenly. "I also am very attention seeking, which is why I teased you so much. And brought up the marriage idea."

"Wait, the marriage thing was your idea?" Taz asked, confused.

"No, it was my parent's. But talking about it made you talk to me which gave me your attention." he smirked. Draco moved in slow but sure movements, brushing the tears off of Taz's face before carefully kissing where the tears had been and then kissing her twice on the lips. Taz's arms wrapped around Draco's neck and pulled him closer, kissing him again with more passion than there had been previously.

"So, you really love me?" Taz asked, her nose pressed against Draco's.

"I really do." he replied.


	9. Chapter 9

**This is dedicated to my wonderful friend, lindafidelis!**

Shopping with Narcissa and Draco the next day was rather excruciating. Taz was thankful for Marshall being there because between Narcissa's unsure glares and the constant bantering between Draco and his mother, Taz was sure she was going to go insane.

Narcissa suggested multiple dresses to Taz but none fit. They were too feminine, too petite, and frankly, Taz was sure that all the magic in the world couldn't make her look particularly feminine or petite. Her body frame was slender but muscular, and though her shoulders weren't broad, she gave off a slight air that suggested she wasn't exactly the feminine type. _She was brought up around ruthless leaders and ruthless Durmstrang. She spoke Bulgarian. What part of non-feminine did Narcissa not understand?_ Taz thought.

"Taz, darling," Narcissa drawled. It couldn't hurt to try and present the girl as a young lady rather than a warrior. "What about this number? It would go perfectly with your house colors." Narcissa pointed to yet another emerald green dress that was supposed to be so tight, the lines of the corset underneath shown through.

"That's horrible, Narcissa. Even I think so." Marshall quipped. Taz was silent but when everyone turned to look at her, they understood why. She had found the perfect dress.

It was the same color silver as her eyes, almost liquid, and any movements made while wearing the gown looked like an illusion. The back was open, revealing the rippling of Taz's muscles, but the straps were thick and the neckline high enough to avoid any cleavage. The bodice was fitted to accentuate her tiny waist and then flared ever so slightly and dropped to the floor. Draco almost couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Taz in it and Marshall couldn't help but tear up. Taz spun slowly, her eyes never leaving the mirror, as Narcissa stayed silent with her jaw wide.

After finding the dress, Taz quickly changed back into her own clothes and Narcissa paid for the garment. Narcissa found some dress robes in Draco's size and had them tailored as Marshall and Taz went to find a snack.

"That dress is lovely, Tazmin." Marshall told her.

"Thank you." she replied curtly. There was an off beat in her tone that worried Marshall but he stayed silent, buying them both ice cream as they turned to watch Narcissa and Draco stumble towards them.

"Don't you think you're spoiling your dinner, young lady?" Narcissa sniffed. This made Taz angry. Who did this woman think she was?

"You're not my mother, who are you to tell me what to do?" she snarled. Narcissa flushed red before turning to Marshall.

"Marshall, you better keep your daughter in line."

"Or what, Narcissa? You want this marriage just as bad as Lucius. Tazmin, while rude about it, has a point. Just because one day you will be her mother-in-law doesn't mean you are allowed to push her around. Please, let Tom and I do that." Taz, Draco, and Narcissa all gaped at Marshall. It wasn't that they were surprised to have him stick up for his child, but they were surprised to hear it. He had never dissed Narcissa in front of Tazmin before and had never stood up for Tazmin so ferociously before. Maybe that's because nobody ever dissed Tazmin in front of him before.

"I'm sorry, Marshall." Narcissa managed. "And I'm sorry, Tazmin. I have been ordering you around and asking absurd things of you but that's not right of me to do." Narcissa barely made eye contact but Taz smiled brightly before Marshall gave her a look.

"I'm sorry for being rude." she mumbled glumly. With satisfaction, Marshall finished his ice cream and then allowed the families to apparate back to Malfoy Mansion for supper and the nightly fire.

After supper, Tazmin and Draco were asked to leave the room and so they wandered upstairs to Taz's room.

"You ready for the ball tomorrow?" Draco asked Taz sarcastically.

"Why do we even have to have this stupid thing." Taz rolled her eyes. She wasn't one to appreciate an excess of attention, especially if it involved dressing up.

"Mother loves throwing them to show off what she has now and Father does whatever she asks." Draco sighed. When he was younger, he used to wish for new parents.

Taz yawned as the clock struck 10:00 and Draco suggested they go to bed.

"Stay with me." Taz begged, changing into her pajamas. She had become comfortable in front of Draco in the time being and he was pleasantly shocked to see her long, lean legs uncovered and her fit torso as she slipped into her night clothes.

"You sure?" he asked. Taz nodded.

"It'll be like a sleep over! We're already engaged. Why not?" Taz laughed. Draco shrugged, left to change and came back into Taz's room to see a frown on the girl's face.

"What?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"You left and I just thought you decided my suggestion was ludicrous." she mumbled. Taz smiled though when Draco crawled into her bed and let her snuggle up against his chest when she slipped in next to him. Smiling, the couple fell asleep, unaware of what the ball the next day would bring.


	10. Chapter 10

The next day brought the ball. The luxurious betrothal celebration between Tazmin Sophia Riddle Marten and Draco Lucius Malfoy. Narcissa and Marshall were in a hectic state when Draco and Taz wandered downstairs, unruly and still in their bedclothes.

"Mother, the guests won't be here until 7, why all the fuss now?" Draco complained. His hand was clamped around Taz's, which shocked Narcissa enough to pull her out of the frenzie.

"Oh my, look at you two. So _in love_." Narcissa clapped her hands in joy.

"Mother!" Draco scowled.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. And the mansion isn't anywhere close to what it needs to be to accommodate all the people coming to the party! And we only have so many house elves, I need them focused on the dinner and dessert and appetizers. Marshall and I have taken it upon ourselves to clean and decorate. You two are accompanying Father to go pick out Taz's engagement ring. Draco will present it to you, Taz, at the ball tonight."

Taz looked down at her left hand which already held the emerald and diamond ring that Draco had given her. Confused, she asked "I thought I already had a ring?" Narcissa's eyes practically bulged out of her head.

"Heavens no!" she cried. "That was simply a gift Draco picked out for you for Christmas." Narcissa turned her attention back to planning with Marshall and Taz couldn't help but blush. She never seemed to be able to do right by Narcissa Malfoy. Taz skipped breakfast and took an extra long shower instead. She stood under the warm spray with her forehead against the shower wall for 20 minutes, thinking over and over about how she could never seem to do what Narcissa wanted. Taz, feeling downhearted, dried off and dressed in a cream dress that was tight at the waist and then flared out, ending completely at the knees. She wore black heels with it and hoped that the sophisticated look would give Narcissa something to complement Taz on rather than criticize.

After curling her hair and putting on light makeup, Taz walked downstairs where Draco and Lucius were waiting, both dressed in dress shirts and nice slacks.

"Tazmin, darling, you look wonderful." Marshall commented.

"Thank you Daddy. Where's Father?" Taz wondered. Maybe he could talk to Narcissa for her.

"He's resting. Had a bit of a fit last night, he'll be alright for the party later." Marshall told her. "Now, go along and pick out whatever ring your heart desires, my dear." Taz glanced ever so slightly at Narcissa and noticed her communicating with Lucius with her eyes. Narcissa didn't like Taz, that was for sure.

The shopping for the ring went smoothly and Taz easily found her favorite. It was petite, like her slim fingers, and sophisticated yet still gorgeous and large. The diamond was haloed by multiple other diamonds and had a slightly iridescent sheen to them. Taz thought it was perfect and Draco couldn't help but agree. Lucius made the purchase and then the three of them took the floo network back to the Malfoy Manor, which had been cleaned spotless and decorated for the ball. The scent of various dishes was in the air and Taz suddenly remembered that she hadn't eaten breakfast that morning.

Looking for a spare roll to eat, Narcissa literally ran into Tazmin.

"What are you doing?" she accused.

"Nothing, I just forgot breakfast and was looking for a snack."

"Better be careful or that pretty new dress of yours won't fit." Narcissa snapped. The words came out crisp and carefully articulated to a degree that Taz felt she had been slapped. Stunned, Taz stood still for a moment before fleeing to her bedroom. Tears were falling before she could shut the door and all she wanted was to be in her own home, not the home of her betrothed fiancee who's mother hated her. Why did Narcissa even hate her? She should be worshipping every step Taz took. Taz was marrying her son, Taz was the Dark Lord's only daughter, Taz was one of the smartest and most powerful witches alive, and yet Narcissa Malfoy thinks she can walk all over her? _No,_ Taz thought. _I'll teach her who she's messing with._

The ball started off without a hitch. Taz wore her new silver dress and Draco wore a black suit with a silver tie to match Taz's dress. They stood and shook hands with everyone who walked in the doors. Draco performed the official ring ceremony in which he went down on one knee and slipped the ring upon Taz's left ring finger, and they had a dance together just before they were to eat. But Taz had been watching Narcissa out of the corner of her eye all night and suddenly, it was all too much.

"What's wrong, Narcissa?" she asked, coldly.

"What?" Narcissa responded, appalled.

"Tazmin, dear, what's the problem?" Marshall asked. Voldemort was sitting quietly at the head of the table, observing his daughter. He knew Tazmin like the back of his hand so he had no question as to what was about to happen. He smiled evily.

"You glare at me all day, you tell me I'm going to get fat for eating a snack when I've skipped breakfast. You ask me to change my birth name, one that my father, YOUR Dark Lord, gave me. You look at me like I'm some sort of fool and yet I'm still deemed good enough for your son. So what is it, Narcissa? Why don't you like me? Do you think I'm just here for your money or do you think I'm here for something else? Because if I can remember correctly, YOU invited US here. You _begged_ my family to allow Draco to marry me. You begged for forgiveness and now that you feel you've got it, I am being treated like dirt. So, I'll ask again. What. Is. Your. Problem?"

"HOW DARE YOU SAY SUCH HORRIBLE THINGS ABOUT ME IN MY OWN HOME, YOU STUPID, WRETCHED LITTLE GIRL?!" Narcissa erupted.

"ENOUGH!" Voldemort demanded. All the guests' heads snapped to look at him. "Narcissa, Tazmin is correct. You owe her your utmost respect. She is one of the smartest witches I've ever known and her ability to be selfless is why your family has forgiveness. And you asked her to change her name?" Voldemort hissed. His next words were quiet. "I think my family and I will be going home now."

Taz avoided eye contact with anyone, including a broken hearted Draco, as she apparated alongside her fathers back to her house.


	11. Chapter 11

Returning to the Marten-Riddle residence brought on multiple feelings for Taz. She was sad to be leaving Draco, who her feelings for had grown fast and furious, but she was also thankful for her own bedroom, her own bed, and even her own house elves. She had found the house itself to be repaired to its former glory, with glittering chandeliers and sparkling countertops, and even a redone bathroom for herself. But all Taz wanted when she got home was to be alone.

Peeling off the grand, silver dress proved to be a difficult task and though the hot water was running already, Taz just crumpled into a pile on the floor when the zipper wouldn't unzip and then part of the dress got stuck on her brand new, perfect, engagement ring. She was a mess of tears and streaming makeup and hair pins falling out everywhere when her house elf, Finny, found her.

"Oh no! Is Miss Taz okay? Does Miss Taz need help?" Finny asked.

"Oh thank god. Finny, I need you to unzip this horrid dress!" Taz sniffled. She was working on untangling the strands of the dress with her ring as Finny used her elf magic, as Taz liked to call it, to undo the zipper. Managing a sniffle, Taz hopped into the shower and stood silently as she relived the outburst all over again. She reprimanded herself for being so easy to anger and as she got dressed for bed, she went to find her Father to apologize.

"Father?" she called, hesitantly.

"Come in, my dear." he hissed. Taz was used to his way of speaking, almost as if a snake was able to speak English.

"I wanted to apologize for my outburst earlier. It was inappropriate and really, the Malfoy's aren't that bad. I was probably overreacting."

"Tazmin Sophia Riddle-Marten. You were named after not three, but four great sorcerers. I respect your judgement and frankly Narcissa was being unusually cruel to you, especially since we had saved her family from being outcast by my followers. You did nothing wrong, in fact I was surprised it took so long for you to even react at all, which makes me proud. You've got a strong head on your shoulders, my dear." Taz hugged her father, feeling much better about the situation. But before she left, she turned to look at her father.

"Father?" she asked quietly.

"Yes?" he hissed.

"Who was Tazmin?" Taz had never been told the origins of her first name and was hoping that it wasn't just another person's last name.

"Come, sit, and I shall tell you the story of your birth name, and the birth right that comes along with it." So Taz moved to sit across from her father, getting comfortable in the large, plush chair that was across from him in his study.

"Tazmin St. Paul was the name of my first follower. She was a fellow Slytherin when I was in school and easily became my best friend. She was at the private wedding that Marshall and I held. In fact, besides your mother, she was the only other guest. Tazmin also liked to be called Taz." he smiled. "She claimed it made her appear...different. And she was different. She, like me, had a pronounced obsession with the Dark Arts. She came from a good, pure-blood family and actually introduced me to Marshall.

"You were originally planned to be named something else, Bellatrix, after another very loyal follower. However, the exact moment your mother went into labor, Taz was murdered by a member of The Order of the Phoenix, Alastor Moody. Her last message was sent by her patronas, a dragon, and it told us that she was sorry and she was sending all her love to the new baby." Voldemort paused, taking a deep breath.

"Now, Tazmin was a bloody good follower and on top of that, a master of divination. She was the one who foresaw your prophecy."

"I have a prophecy?" Taz interrupted.

"You do. I will read it to you when I am done with this story, and when Marshall gets home. Anyways," Voldemort gave Taz a pointed look. "Tazmin's patronas was received right as Grace had you and we decided to give you her name, since she was protecting our home as Grace gave birth to you and because she gave you your prophecy. And that, my darling, is where your first name comes from. However, though we've never told you this, your middle name _is_ Bellatrix. Sophia is just apart of your last name. When you were first born, it would have been safe for you to go by Riddle, but once I fell from power, we were forced to use Marten as your last name."

Taz was silent for a moment. "So my real name is-"

"Tazmin Bellatrix Sophia-Riddle." Both were quiet.

"Am I allowed now to go by my real name?" Taz asked hopefully. Though she didn't always agree with her father, she respected him and only wanted to make him proud. He possessed great power and for that, she was proud to be called a Riddle.

"If you please, be my guest." he smiled at the girl. Moments later, Marshall arrived.

"Can I hear the prophecy now?" Taz jumped in her seat.

"Ahh, the prophecy. I was wondering when this would come up." Marshall commented with a smile. He pecked Voldemort on the cheek.

"The prophecy itself is at the Ministry of Magic, however before she passed, Tazmin wrote it down and put a spell on the envelope so that only you could open it."

"So you've never heard the prophecy?" Taz asked, confused.

"No, however Tazmin promised me it was a good one." Voldemort smirked. He stood quietly and fetched an old envelope from his desk before handing it to Taz.

"Would you mind if I read this in private?" she asked, suddenly self conscious.

"Of course not, dear." Marshall told her. "The house elves are working on dinner, just be ready when it's time." With that, Taz moved to her bedroom, envelope clutched in her sweaty palms, and sat on her bed before opening the envelope. Two pieces of parchment fell out, one was the prophecy but the other was a note. She read the note first.

 _My dear Bellatrix,_

 _This prophecy is dangerous. Do not trust anyone but your closest mates with it, not even your family. I've told your fathers that it is a good prophecy, and it is, but not in a way they would like. The prophecy calls to say that you will be the bridge between helping destroy your father's Dark Magic. While I was always on your Father's side, that doesn't mean I never questioned his ideals. Stay safe, my dear Bellatrix, and do the RIGHT thing. All my love,_

 _Tazmin St. Paul_

Taz was confused at first, but then remembered that Tazmin St. Paul never found out that Tazmin Bellatrix was named the way she was. She shivered, rereading the letter before looking at the prophecy.

 _Born into something grave,_

 _A young witty witch musn't be saved._

 _With power worthy of something great,_

 _The young turned adolescent will face the grave._

 _Neither Dark nor Light will affect her power,_

 _Though reuniting is to be her honor._

 _Save for family and friends throughout,_

 _This young girl will save all out._


End file.
